Peter Thomas

Peter John Mitchell Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir, PC, QC (31 July 1920 – 4 February 2008) was a Welsh Conservative politician. He was the first Welshman to become Chairman of the Conservative Party, serving from 1970 to 1972, and the first Conservative politician to serve as Secretary of State for Wales, holding that office from 1970 to 1974. Thomas was born in Llanrwst, where his father was a solicitor. He was educated at the village school, a... more

Peter John Mitchell Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir, PC, QC (31 July 1920 – 4 February 2008) was a Welsh Conservative politician. He was the first Welshman to become Chairman of the Conservative Party, serving from 1970 to 1972, and the first Conservative politician to serve as Secretary of State for Wales, holding that office from 1970 to 1974. Thomas was born in Llanrwst, where his father was a solicitor. He was educated at the village school, and then Epworth College in Rhyl, before reading law at Jesus College, Oxford. He joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1939, on the outbreak of the Second World War. He was shot down while serving as a bomber pilot in 1941, and spent four years in prisoner-of-war camps in Germany, moving from Stalag Luft VI to Stalag Luft III and then at Stalag XI-B. He continued his legal studies while imprisoned, and was also an amateur actor. He became a barrister after the war, and was called to the Bar in 1947 at Middle Temple. He practised on the Wales and... less